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Schools, Trades in Apprentice Deal

Posted on: Monday, 24 April 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Mensah M. Dean, Philadelphia Daily News

Apr. 24--After more than a year of talking - sometimes caustically - the city school district and the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council are set to strike a deal that will result in up to 400 graduates entering trade apprenticeships over the next four years.

"It's taken some time, but the potential here is fabulous. It was worth the effort," said Pat Gillespie, business manager of the trades council. Its member unions represent, among others, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, plumbers and painters.

"Historically, it has been difficult for young people who graduate from the Philadelphia School District to gain entry into trade unions," School Reform Commission chairman James Nevels said. "This is a historic start to accomplishing that. This has not happened before in the city."

Fears of racism have tinged the issue. The majority of union members are white, while 85 percent of school-district students are from minority groups.

In a moment of frustration last year, Nevels said it was more difficult for a city graduate to get an apprenticeship than to go to Harvard or Yale universities.

But last Friday evening, Nevels had only praise for the unions.

"There are individuals in the building trades who are of good will, and we are grateful to them for taking this huge step forward in the 21st century in being fair and inclusive," he said.

"This is going to be great for the kids," said schools chief executive officer Paul Vallas. "It's going to open up the trades to minority students who attend our school district, and it's going to help strengthen our vocational educational program.

"This has been a top priority of Jim's since he became chairman of the School Reform Commission. He's close to achieving one of his goals," Vallas added.

The SRC is studying the apprenticeship agreement, Nevels said, and could vote on it within the next two to three weeks.

Nevels and Gillespie said that during the agreement's four years, between 250 and 400 school district graduates would be admitted into paid apprenticeships - the expense of which is covered by the unions.

It typically takes four years to complete one of the job-training programs, Gillespie said.

After completing an apprenticeship and passing an exam, a student becomes a union member and can earn $20 to $40 an hour, Gillespie said.

Success in the program requires hard work, he said.

"It doesn't promise people anything but the opportunity. There's a lot of personal discipline involved. Cold winters, wet days, you have to go out there and produce."

Gillespie said the trades council would monitor the schools to make sure students are being taught what they'll need to weather their apprenticeships.

Nevels added it is important that future apprentices be mentored and supported by the churches and civic organizations in their communities.

Eventually, Gillespie said, the trades council would like to work with the school district to open a high school, further solidifying the partnership. Nevels embraced the suggestion, adding, "I will do everything in my power to encourage the School Reform Commission to do that."

The exact number of school district graduates who enter union apprenticeships each year has not been tallied, but it is quite low, district and union officials have said.

This, despite the fact that an estimated 14,000 students are enrolled in six vocational-technical high schools. There are also two charter schools that specialize in building trades, and numerous schools have vocational departments.

Last year, Nevels hinted that unless things changed, the trade unions would start losing out on school construction and renovation contracts - which will top $2 billion this decade.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Philadelphia Daily News

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Source: The Philadelphia Daily News

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